


A Secret of The Highest Order

by CaptainOfTheKryptonSpacemarines



Series: 30 Days of Tropes [2]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: 30 Days of Tropes, F/M, Fluff, Height difference, Love, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Slow Dancing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24503989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainOfTheKryptonSpacemarines/pseuds/CaptainOfTheKryptonSpacemarines
Summary: Sarah and Tom have a secret so well kept that it puts any of the ones ONI keeps to shame
Relationships: Thomas Lasky/Sarah Palmer
Series: 30 Days of Tropes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769833
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	A Secret of The Highest Order

**Author's Note:**

> Link takes to Youtube.

Sarah’s eyes danced all over the hallway, waiting for someone, anyone, to come out and see her as she was right now. Doing this could spell chaos and damnation yet she had to do it.

She had faced Elites, Brutes, Prometheans and doing this, of all things, is the one thing that worries her. Even though she’s got her figurative bulletproof vest and their friends in high places would gladly pull them out of the fire, Sarah all but begs anyone out there listening that she doesn’t have to.

This has been a well kept secret. Their well kept secret. She smiles proudly for a moment as the thought that this is a secret not even fucking Osman knows about and it adds speed to her almost-trot pace.

Her augmented senses guide her and keep her on the edge at every turn as she makes her way and her fists clench ready to strike down anyone that gets in her way, excitement and dread in equal measures wild in her mind as she keeps walking.

The mere fact she’s here is enough to raise an eyebrow. What she’s wearing even more, especially because in these parts of the ship all she’s ever been seen in is the armor that she definitely cannot bring here tonight.

To him.

Her heart’s in her throat and Sarah groans irate at herself for being like this. They’ve been cautious and so far this secret of theirs is known to them alone and Roland, who won’t say a thing nor keep the records once this is done.

‘ _Nobody will know, nobody will find out_ ’ Sarah tells herself over and over again as she inhales deeply and exhales slowly.

She’s almost there. She can see the door at the end of the corridor and her fist clenches hard around the item in her hand, nearly crushing it. The thought of breaking it however, causes her to stop dead in her tracks.

She checks it, sees it’s unblemished and then goes for a quick, last check-up of herself. She thanks her good fortune that the wall is so damn clean the reflection of the metal is better than the mirror she has in her quarters.

All is well and she continues, she takes the final steps and before she raises her hand to knock the door opens by itself.

“Roland-” Sarah is about to scream to the AI in a way proper of a Drill Sergeant dealing with the fuck up of the group when the machine speaks, its voice gentle and reassuring.

“Apologies Commander Palmer- I know how you feel about my presence and interference but I’d like to once more reassure you my lips are shut and by tomorrow I’ll have no recollection of what will happen tonight and ONI will not know a thing, just as you like it”

Sarah is not at ease and her voice is stern as she deals with this.

“I swear to God, if you so much as-”

“Sarah, please”

Tom’s voice is gentle as usual and it is only until now that she remembers he’s here all along. That she just walked into his quarters. She looks at him wide-eyed and she hates to admit it’s a good thing he takes over this.

“Thank you, Roland but you know the lady-” Tom nods towards where Sarah is standing and says with a small smile in his face that Sarah has learned is his ‘I am amused even when I know I shouldn’t be’ expression “Please, leave us alone.”

“Gladly. Good night, Captain Lasky”

There’s a thud somewhere in the room and the air goes too silent. The hairs on the back of Sarah’s neck rise up in anticipation, this quietness usually meaning combat or worse and she’s hyper vigilant to the point she almost jumps when Tom calls out for the AI.

Once, twice, thrice and nothing.

Sarah lets out her breath in a rush and hates herself even more for being this ridiculous that Tom felt he needed to reassure her that they were actually alone. That he had actually managed to get Roland to shut off every last sensor in his quarters.

“May I start by saying you look gorgeous?” Tom draws her out of her thoughts and, for the first time since she left her quarters tonight, Sarah feels at ease.

Their careful steps will pay out. Nobody will find out.

“Thanks-” Sarah looked down at herself. She’s wearing civilian clothes: A lightly baggy, peach colored blouse that is tucked into her form-fitting, olive green jeans. She knows Tom enough to know he’s being his gentleman self by not staring at her ass right now via the mirror behind her as they stand a few steps away from each other, Sarah still next to the door. “You always clean up nice, tonight is no exception”

She sighs as she prays that wasn’t as formal as it sounded to her and when Tom smiles and places his arms side by side of his body, open for the hug he wants to give her, she sighs and closes the distance.

They hug tenderly for a moment that stretches on delightfully forever, making every bit of stress evaporate from her body. As they pull back and his arms are about to slide down and away, she leans down and kisses him.

Tom freezes for a moment before kissing back and then all bets are off.

They could tear each other’s clothes off -They have done so before- but it doesn’t go that far. They sigh against each other as they deepen the kiss and then their tongues dance around each other until Tom needs to catch his breath, indicating so with a light squeeze to Sarah’s left arm.

“Am I allowed to say I missed you?”

“Nope-” Sarah smiles for the first time tonight and deflates completely. They’re here. They’re safe and they can be together “but I don’t think that should stop you from saying it”

“I’ve missed you” Tom says and it tears a little at Sarah’s heart when she hears it.

“Likewise-“She confesses, the smile on her face getting wider “And I saw you this morning”

“So,-“Tom says, his smile wide and beautiful, making Sarah groan internally at the thought she’s being this cheesy already “Let’s find out what the chef sent up”

They go to the table and find out Roland treated them to a small feast. Enough for her Spartan requirements and his personal tastes and then some. Interestingly, despite the fact they rarely talk as part of the necessities that arise from keeping the secret, they don’t say much to each other as they eat.

Tom’s doing great. The ship is fine and there’s really nothing new on his side aside from the fact he misses her every day of the week and every hour in between.

Sarah laughs gently when he says that and feels like punching him to shut him up; she is not entirely displeased when she feels herself blush at the phrase.

Things are good on her side. Work is demanding but gratifying and she wouldn’t change it for the world. Maybe for him, but she keeps that to herself.

They dine looking at each other with loving eyes and when the plates are scrubbed clean of the delicious food, they pile them up and Sarah leaves everything ready so tomorrow Tom can dispose of them quickly, without anyone's notice.

She feels her mood sour as she goes over the little details that arranging this means and takes a deep breath.

‘ _It’ll work out, it’ll be Ok_ ’ Sarah says like a mantra.

Tom hates seeing her like this. He understands the worries and is even touched that parts of them are founded on his career. Sarah committed her body to the cause, what’s his career to that?

He knows they can’t pull fraternization charges on them. He’s gone over the rules with her so many times that he feels he could defend himself, defend them both even, if things went sideways.

They’re safe and it’s just the gossip they have to worry about; maybe a few concerns about his sound judgment if it comes to choosing between Sarah and the Infinity, but so far they’ve done things that a few years ago would’ve been thought of as impossible and they’re still here.

Together.

Tom puts the playlist he’s prepared and Sarah almost jumps out of her skin, startled as Edith Piaf’s ‘[ _La vie en rose_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry7tAB-Dzms)’ starts and Tom can’t help himself and sings along in English, clashing a bit crudely over the original French.

“Eyes that make mine lower, a laugh that is lost on her smile, here is the perfect picture of the Marine that owns my heart”

Sarah stares at him incredulous and then it is her gaze that lowers as she chuckles, not believing for one moment this is happening.

“When she takes me in her arms-” Tom croons as he dances in place and smiles at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world “She softly speaks to me and I see life tinted pink”

Yet, as Tom sways and sings, Sarah goes up to him and quickly falls into step with him as they dance, one hand halfway up and the other in the other’s lower back.

They sway and close their eyes and Tom keeps singing. He’s got a decent voice, Sarah thinks to herself, but nothing he could make a career out of if the Navy doesn’t work out for him; all the more reason to keep this between themselves.

The song ends, a new one starts –Another classic that has to be at least 500 years old called Love Me Tender- and they keep their slow pace. Then that song ends and they’re still at it, the only change is that Sarah is resting her forehead against his and every so often he stands on the tip of his toes to steal a quick peck of her lips.

They stay like that for a very long time -she doesn’t know how long and can’t care less- the songs go by and keep the atmosphere unchanged. It is only until now that she feels safe enough to just take it all in: He’s here, safe in her arms and she hasn’t felt this vulnerable in such a long while that it aches somewhere inside her.

It’s not like they grow tired of swaying, they simply just stop doing it after a while and they sit down and they cuddle, or do what they call cuddling: She rests her head on his lap and he runs his hands through her hair, scratching and massaging her skull as his fingers slip by the short hair. Every so often a hand wonders downwards to her belly and Tom tries to tickle her, despite the fact he knows damn well that’s not a place to tickle Sarah.

They stay like that comfortably and, for once, all is well in the galaxy.

They make out gently, him leaning down to steal kisses that deepen until his neck aches or he needs to breathe and Sarah is beaming with happiness. She’s smiling and randomly humming the songs they danced to.

Somewhere in the fact they’re comfortable and their secret is safe yet again, they fall asleep and wake up when Roland absolutely must or else they risk having their secret blown.

“Crap-” Sarah remembers as she’s about to run off “I forgot”

She goes for the gift she brought, discarded at the beginning of the night and with that sweet gentle smile that's only meant for him, she says tenderly, love shinning in her eyes.

“Happy Anniversary, Tom. Regret your mistake and I’ll break you in half”

He laughs and pulls out his gift from inside his jacket “Happy Anniversary, Sarah. I love you too”

Sarah kisses him quickly but deeply and runs off, leaving Tom to figure out a way to have that marvelous Sangheili work of master craftsmanship within sight without smiling like the love-struck idiot he knows himself to be -He’d seen it several months ago while on shore leave and he didn’t buy it because someone else had gotten to it first and knowing who had makes for such a memory he doesn’t trust himself not to do anything other than smile and look at Sarah with tender eyes- and discreetly letting know Sarah know much he loved it and her.

Sarah didn’t pay attention to her present until she arrived to her quarters, but once she did all she could do was fluster and blush like the little schoolgirl he made her feel like: She got a picture of them the day Lord Hood married them –a feat most impressive given the fact she had been adamant that there was no evidence of the ceremony- the back of it with the phrase their wedding rings had inscribed in his handwriting.

‘ _The Stars of my Galaxy_ ’

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it! Please let me know!
> 
> Also: Please check out my other works!! I'm sure you'll find one you'll like!!


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